This invention is in the field of dispensers and more specifically, cup dispensers.
It is well known in the art to provide a cup dispenser which will receive a fresh stack of paper cups and which in turn will allow a cup at a time to be removed from the dispenser. Many of these dispensers are arranged to receive a vertical stack of cups with the cup being removed being located at the bottom end of the dispenser. Disclosed herein is another cup dispenser which provides different features from the prior dispensers.
The dispenser disclosed herein allows for the removal of a cup from the top end of the dispenser providing for better visibility. The dispenser is compactly designed as compared to many of the prior large cup dispensers and is provided with a number of design features which insure a better operation or more smooth insertion and removal of cups. For example, some of the prior art dispensers include means for urging the cups toward the dispenser opening. In many cases, the means become jammed or cocked as a result of loose tolerance components or because the movable component has become cocked with respect to the cavity longitudinal axis. The dispenser disclosed herein is provided with a movable plate having guides thereon which engage ribs preventing the plate from becoming cocked with respect to the cavity longitudinal axis. In addition, a raised plateau is provided on the plate to automatically align the stack of cups within the cup cavity preventing the dispenser from becoming jammed. The configuration of the main body including the ribs and movable plate is designed so that the dispenser may be molded in plastic to insure accurate tolerances and low-cost production. Further, the dispenser is designed to include ribs which project into the cavity opening to limit removal of one cup at a time from the dispenser with the ribs being integrally joined to the main body thereby eliminating the need for components such as spring-loaded detents.